Monday, June 8, 2015

Known
to his family, friends and fans as "Varis" or simply "V,"
Travaris Spears was born on October 20, 2000 in Rochester, New York.
At a very young age, he developed a charm that was engaging and
magnetic. His energy and passion for performing led him to sing,
dance, and even imitate his favorite artists and celebrities. Using
his gift for communicating and interacting with people from all walks
of life, Travaris creates opportunities to make lasting impressions
and sees the whole world as his stage.

Since
2007, Travaris has been busy at work while simultaneously maintaining
excellent grades in school; something upon which his mother insists.
Professionally, the ninth grader has appeared in a Siri/Universal
Record music video, in print ads, in several indie films and, in
2012, he landed a prominent role in the blockbuster Admission.

Travaris's
charisma is contagious, and he is quickly becoming a rising star to
be reckoned with. Here, he talks about his new movie, Freedom, an
historical drama starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. about an African-American
family's attempt to escape from slavery.

Kam
Williams: Hi
Travaris, thanks for another interview.

Travaris
Spears:
No
problem. Thanks for this interview.

KW:
I know
you are an excellent student. Did you have a good school year?

TS:I
had a great year in school. I learned a lot and discovered much more
than I did in 8th grade about my learning style and myself in
general. High school is different, more challenging. For example, I
was scared of not understanding algebra but it turned out to be
pretty simple after I realized that asking questions doesn’t make
you stupid, and understanding how important notes are. I also learned
how to speak Italian which is similar to Spanish. My freshman year
was definitely a year I won’t forget.

KW:
Are you
still studying guitar, dance and boxing?

TS:
I am
still studying all three. I have always taken private tap dance
classes with the wonderful and talented Francis Bradley. I am also
taking hip-hop classes now, at the Broadway Dance Center. I have
always boxed at Gleason’s gym, and I will never stop because I am
actually very passionate and competitive when it comes to boxing. And
dancing? I love it.

KW:
What
interested you in Freedom?

TS:
I have
always been interested in history as a whole, but I love hearing
about slavery because it’s a reminder or a wake-up call that I need
to take my freedom seriously. I also think about how we take our
freedom for granted and not celebrate the people who sacrificed and
died for us, to get it. Also, freedom was very interesting because I
knew I would learn a lot acting and education wise, so I knew this
would be a great opportunity.

KW:
How
would you summarize the film in 25 words or less?

TS:
It's a
flashback film showing a young man, enslaved in the 18th
Century, had hopes of seeing his great-grandson and other descendants
freed a century later.

KW:
Tell me a little about your character, Fassena.

TS:
Fassena
is the great-grandfather of Samuel who is played by Cuba Gooding,
Jr. In the 1700’s, he had a very rough life as a young boy in
slavery after his mother passed away. Fassena’s survival and hope
of being free one day are dependent on the fate of Captain John
Newton [played by Bernhard Forcher].

KW:
What
would you say is the movie's message?

TS:
I
think
there was more than one message... One goal was to educate people who
might not know much about slavery. Another was to show how many lives
were sacrificed during that period, what slaves actually experienced,
and how mothers, fathers and young children died while hoping and
fighting for freedom.

KW:
What is
your next project?

TS:
I
recently shot an episode of “Law & Order SVU” which will be
the first episode of the new season in the fall. I am so excited and
cannot wait for it to air. I've had a lot of great experiences during
this terrific pilot season. I feel confident that I have a very
bright future ahead. You’ll see more of me soon!

KW:
I asked
you the bookworm Troy Johnson question before, but I'm always
interested in knowing what was the last book you read?

TS:
“The
Enemy” by Charlie Higson, It's amazing, by the way.

KW:
The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song
you listened to?

TS:
Yes,
I’ve been raised in a Christian home. I have a very religious
family. As far back as I can remember, I was taught to pray, to have
fellowship with others in church, to read the Bible, and to have an
understanding of God’s

KW:
The
Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person
you are today?

TS:
My
mother.

KW:
The Viola Davis question: What’s
the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the
person we see on the red carpet?

TS:
The
person on the red carpet has butterflies in his stomach, a rush of
excitement, but is reserved with his game face on, and is ready for
pictures and questions. The person off the red carpet is
super-energetic and playful, and is always into something or doing
something.

KW:
The
Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?

TS:
When
I’m with my family. I love to visit my hometown, Rochester, New
York.
I’m always happy and excited to visit and be with my siblings and
family. I am also always happy, when my mom tells me I landed a role,
especially when I’m on set. I love the feeling.

KW:
The
Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?

TS:
My
wonderful mother!

KW:
The
Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all
successful people share?

TS:
They
are all determined and very focused people because they all had to
focus on what they wanted to get it. Also, they had to believe in
themselves to have self-confidence.

KW:
The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being
redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in?

TS:
The
remake of Admission. [Laughs] No, I would love to be in the remake of
The Wizard Of Oz.

KW:
Finally,
what’s in your wallet?

TS:
Money,
a credit card, an ID, insurance cards, and my MetroCard.

KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Travaris, and best of luck with Freedom.

TS:
Thank
you so much for interviewing me, Kam. I had a wonderful time
reminiscing while thinking of some of the answers.

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The Sly Fox Film Reviews

KamWilliams.com

The Sly Fox Film Reviews publishes the content of film critic Kam Williams. Voted Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2008, Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and Rotten Tomatoes.

In addition to a BA in Black Studies from Cornell, he has an MA in English from Brown, an MBA from The Wharton School, and a JD from Boston University. Kam lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and son.